Foldable tent

ABSTRACT

A foldable tent and connector devices for retaining a pair of pivotally connected tent poles. The tent comprises a pair of arched foldable frame members pivotally interconnected by way of a coupling member. The connector device comprises male and female components lockably pivotally coupled to one another to permit positioning of the poles such that the poles are axially aligned in an aligned configuration and such that the poles are pivoted 180 degrees substantially parallel and adjacent to each other in a folded configuration. The male component includes an axially extending first guiding member and a first locking member formed on the inner projection, and the female component includes a second guiding member and a second locking member. A release button is provided for ready set-up and/or folding of the tent. The first and second locking members secure the poles in alignment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a foldable or collapsible tent, andmore particularly to a foldable or collapsible tent having locking jointassembly for retaining a pair of pivotally connected poles of thefoldable tent.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Camping is a popular recreational activity often employing the use oftents or tent like structures. Owing to the economical and practicalset-up aspects, as well as portability, tents are frequently utilized bynature enthusiasts and amateur campers alike. Generally, tents areconstructed of a sheet of fabric or material draped over or attached toa frame consisting of poles and supporting rope. Smaller tents aregenerally free-standing or secured to the ground, while large tents aregenerally anchored using guy ropes tied to tent pegs or stakes.

Conventional tent set-up, for both small and large tents, often requiretime consuming assembly for use, especially when taking into account thenumber of poles involved and the anchoring requirements, and fabricplacement in securing the tent structure. Assembly efforts can becomeeven more difficult during twilight or night hours when lighting ispoor, or during inclement weather. Disassembly of the convention tentstructure yields the same problems, as well as the need to orderlydismantle the tent pieces.

A popular alternative to conventional tents include foldable or pop-uptents. These tents are commonly referred to as “instant tents,”“one-touch tents” or “pop-up tents,” and erecting and collapsing thetent is easy and less time consuming than conventional assemble-to-usetents. Generally the cover and frame assembly of foldable tents arepermanently attached to each other, i.e., preassembled. Instant tentsare particularly advantageous for smaller tents because a minimal numberof poles, typically four, are required and thus erecting and collapsingthe instant tent is quite simple.

Typical variations of foldable tents include a central hub with aplurality of poles pivotally attached to the hub. However, erecting andcollapsing of these foldable tents can be challenging to the user. Aseach pole member is pivotally attached to the hub, each pole must belocked in place during set-up to secure the assembled structure. Whereindirt or debris accumulates within the joints of the central hub, lockingthe poles in place during set-up of the tent, and/or unlocking the poleswhen collapsing the tent can become difficult.

With all the pivoting moving parts, often jams and joint breakage occur,rendering the foldable tent virtually unusable. Specifically, theincreased number of poles and pole sections requires extra steps toerect and collapse the tent. Moreover, with an increased number of polesit can become more difficult to consistently fold the tent structure,and the resultant folded tent is more cumbersome in nature and heavierto carry.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of theinvention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention.This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is notintended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or todelineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to presentsome embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude tothe more detailed description that is presented later.

The present invention is intended to overcome at least theabove-described disadvantages. The objects and advantages of the presentinvention, more specifically, are to provide a foldable instant tentassembly with minimal moving parts and with minimal pole structures foreasy ready set-up and collapsibility.

Facilitating the above-mentioned objectives, the subject inventionprovides a foldable instant tent that utilizes dual a frame assemblytraversing channels within a tent cover. The dual frame assembly isconstructed having two arched foldable frame members each havingproximal and distal ends. Proximal and distal ends of each of the archedframe members terminate at and are pivotally connected by way of acoupling member. The two arched foldable frame members do not touch oneanother when the tent is in the erected position (lest there may be sometouching at the proximal and distal ends) and converge or gape away fromone another as the tent material pulls the arches in opposingdirections. A first pivotal coupling member is provided along the upperframe portion of each of the frame members. A second pivotal couplingmember is provided along the side frame portions of each of the framemembers. Pivotal coupling members are provided as locking pivotalconnectors having female and male components pivotally coupled togetherso that the connectors operate to lock when the coupling member isaligned as when the tent is in the erected position. To collapse or foldthe tent, the lock is released, causing the male component to releasefrom within the female component and allow the poles to pivot each 90degrees/180 degrees so that the poles are substantially parallel andadjacent to each other in a folded configuration.

In one aspect of the present invention a foldable tent for instantset-up and collapsing is provided. The foldable tent comprises a frameassembly attached to a tent cover, the frame assembly including at leastone pair of arched foldable frame members each having proximal anddistal ends, the proximal and distal ends of each of the arched framemembers being pivotally connected to a coupling member. Each of thearched foldable frame members comprise an upper frame portion pivotallyconnected to a pair of side frame portions. The upper frame portionincludes a first pole section and a second pole section, wherein eachpole section has an inner end and an outer end, the inner ends of thefirst and second sections of the upper frame portion being pivotallyconnected together by a first pivotal coupling member. Each of the sideframe portions include a primary pole section and a secondary polesection. Each pole section has an innermost end and an outermost end.The outermost end of the primary pole section is pivotally connected toa corresponding outer end of the upper frame portion by a second pivotalcoupling member. The innermost end of the primary pole section and thesecondary pole section are slidingly coupled together so that theprimary and secondary pole sections telescopically slide together. Theoutermost end of the secondary pole section is pivotally connected tothe coupling member. The tent cover is adapted to become taut when thearched foldable frame members are erected, pulling the arched foldableframe members away from one another and retaining an erectedconfiguration of the foldable tent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To better understand the present invention, a more particulardescription of the invention will be rendered by reference to theappended drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the foldable tent of the presentinvention in an open configuration;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the foldable tent of FIG. 1 with theframe assembly in a partially collapsed or folded configuration;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the foldable tent of FIG. 1 in apartially folded configuration;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the foldable tent of FIG. 1 in a fullyfolded configuration;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the coupling member of the foldable tentof FIG. 1, wherein the foldable tent is in the open position;

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of a pair of arched frame members ofthe foldable tent of FIG. 1 in an open configuration as also shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of the frame members of FIG. 6 withthe side frame members in a retracted position;

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of the frame members of FIG. 6 in thepartially collapsed configuration;

FIG. 9 is a side perspective view of the frame members of FIG. 6 in thepartially collapsed folded-over configuration shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the frame members of FIG. 6 in a fullycollapsed configuration as in FIGS. 3-4.

To facilitate an understanding of the invention, identical referencenumerals have been used, when appropriate, to designate the same orsimilar elements that are common to the figures. Further, unless statedotherwise, the features shown in the figures are not drawn to scale, butare shown for illustrative purposes only.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenienceonly and is not limiting. The article “a” is intended to include one ormore items. Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similarlanguage is used. Additionally, to assist in the description of thepresent invention, words such as top, bottom, front, rear, right andleft are used to describe the accompanying figures. The terminologyincludes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof,and words of similar import.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, views of a preferred embodiment of the foldabletent of the present invention are shown. The foldable tent 1 generallyincludes a frame assembly 3 with a cover 5 attached thereto. The frameassembly 3 traverses channels or sleeves 4 within the cover 5. The cover5 includes at least one securing member 6 for securing the tent cover 5to a surface, such as the ground. Preferably, securing member 6 is aloop wherein a stake or the like is placed for securing foldable tent 1to the ground. Most preferably, a securing member 6 is located at eachcorner location of tent 1.

In the preferred embodiment, the frame assembly 3 includes at least twoarched foldable frame members 7, 8, each having a proximal end 9 anddistal end 10 (shown in FIG. 6). The proximal and distal ends, 9, 10 ofeach of the arched frame members 7, 8 are pivotally connected andterminate at a coupling member 81 (see FIG. 5; detailed descriptionbelow). The pair of arched foldable frame members 7, 8 are substantiallyidentical and are independent and detached from each other, eachterminating at the coupling member 81 where they are each pivotallyanchored. While anchored within the coupling member 81, frame members 7,8 pivot away from one another when the foldable tent 1 is in the erectedconfiguration, and fold toward and abut one another when the foldabletent 1 is in the folded configuration. The cover 5 of the foldable tent1 includes a plurality of cover members fixedly attached together byconventional sewing methods to form an enclosed shelter having a topsection 27, bottom section 28 and a plurality of side sections 29located between the arched frame members 7, 8. In the preferredembodiment, each frame member 7, 8 rests at an angle relative to acentral vertical plane such that the apex of the frame members 7, 8 ishigher than the top section 27 of the tent cover 5 of the foldable tent1. When erected, the frame members 7, 8 angle away from the center lineresulting in the top section 27 of the cover 5 becoming taut. Asportions of the top section 27 near the frame members 7, 8 are at ahigher elevation a decline is formed toward the central vertical planeand also toward the side sections 29. This facilitates a downward runoff near the frame member 7, 8, and on the top of the tent 1 in general,thus preventing any accumulation of water or debris on the top section27 of the cover 5.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that more than one setof arched frame members 7, 8 could be included in the tent assemblywithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.Furthermore, the distance separating the frame members 7, 8 as well asthe height difference between the frame members 7, 8 could vary.Moreover, the frame members 7, 8 are preferably arched having acurvature, however it is contemplated that the frame members 7, 8 couldbe less curved and formed more linear or pyramidal.

The cover 5 includes an inner surface (not shown) and an outer surface15. In the preferred embodiment, the cover 5 is a fabric constructedfrom materials such as cotton, polyester or nylon, or any combinationthereof and is water repellant and/or water resistant and flameretardant. The cover 5 can also be constructed with heat reflectingmaterial and other materials without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention. In the preferred embodiment, the side sections 29 ofthe cover 5 gradually extend further outward than the top section 27 ofthe cover 5 so that the side sections 29 of the cover 5 are formed on anincline. The bottom section 28 thus extends further outward than the topsection 27 as well as side sections 29. The incline of side sections 29further ensure that water or debris cannot accumulate on the cover 5.Instead, owing to the incline construction of the side section 29, aswell as the construct of the top section 27 discussed hereinaboverelative to the frame members 7, 8, water travels downward toward thebottom section 28 of the tent 1 to the ground surface. The adjoiningcover members form seams 13 throughout the cover 5 and additional seams13 are formed from adjoining sections that form windows and doors. Acontinuous flexible adhesive tape (not shown) is preferably applied tothe seams 13 on the inner surface of the cover 5 to prevent rain water,other liquids or debris from penetrating the cover 5 through the seams13 from the outer surface 15. In the preferred embodiment, the topsection 27 of the cover 5 is attached to the upper frame members 21 by aplurality of channels/sleeves 4 which are attached at the horizontalseams 13 of the top section 27 of the cover 5 by conventional sewingmethods. The sleeves/channels 4 extend substantially along the entirelength of each upper frame members 7, 8. In this embodiment, the sleeves4 are constructed of the same material as the cover 5 but could bereplaced with other materials such as mesh. The sleeves 4 could alsoextend over pivotal coupling members 41, positioned on a central portionof each upper frame members 7 so that the cover 5 is protected fromdamage by the coupling members 41 when the tent 1 is folded. In suchcase, the portions of the sleeves covering the pivotal coupling members41 are preferably mesh so that the coupling members 41 could be viewedby the user. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that thechannels/sleeves could also be replace by a plurality of hooks or otherattachment means (e.g., hook-and-loop, hook-and-eye) without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. Other portions of the cover5 could be attached to the frame assembly 3 by additional hooks or otherattachment means as well. The cover 5 could also be provided with aplurality of attachment means, e.g., a string made of high-strengthmaterial, to attach to hooks or apertures provided on the first pivotalcoupling member. One of ordinary skill will recognize that othercomponents or accessories, such as a rain fly or any other modificationto the inner and outer surfaces of the cover, such as a door matextension, rain hood, or other gear could be added to the foldable tent1 of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 6-10, each arched frame member 7, 8 is constructedhaving an upper frame portion 21 and a pair of side frame portions 31.Side frame portions 31 include the proximal end 9 and distal end 10 ofthe frame member 7, 8. Upper frame portion 21 includes a first polesection 23 and a second pole section 25. Preferably, pole sections 23and 25 are arched or curved in nature when the tent 1 is in an openconfiguration to form the arch of the frame members 7, 8, and include aninner end 27 and an outer end 29. In the folded configurations, as shownin FIGS. 8-10, the poles sections 23, 25 return to a straightconfiguration. In the preferred embodiment, each section 23, 25 isconstructed of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) for increasedflexibility while maintaining strength, but other flexible high-strengthmaterials could be used. Inner ends 27 of the first and second sections23, 25 of the upper frame portion 21 are pivotally connected together bya first lockable pivotal coupling member or connector device 41. In apreferred embodiment, the lockable pivotal coupling member or connectordevice 41 is that shown in FIGS. 17-26 of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/572,622 (filed Aug. 11, 2012) (“the '622 Application”) anddescribed in detail therein, which is incorporated by reference in itsentirety. Other locking devices could be used, including those describedin the '622 Application.

Each side frame member 31 includes a primary pole section 33 and asecondary pole section 35, each having an innermost end 37 and anouter/outermost end 39. In the preferred embodiment, the primary polesection 33 and the secondary pole 35 are constructed of a substantiallyhollow, tubular pole constructed of steel. However, other high-strength,light-weight materials could be used as well. For example, the primarypole section 33 could be constructed of FRP. The primary pole sectionoutermost end 39 of each side frame member 31 is pivotally connected toa corresponding outer/outermost end 29 of the upper frame member 21 by asecond pivotal coupling member 51.

Continuing with FIGS. 6-10, the primary and secondary pole sections 33,35 of each side frame member 31 are slidingly coupled together. In thepreferred embodiment, the inner diameter of the secondary section 35 issubstantially similar to the outer diameter of the primary section 33such that the primary section 33 is telescopically slidable within thesecondary section 35. The inner end 37 of the secondary section 35 isprovided with a locking member or stopper 32 such that the primarysection 33 is prevented from extending out of the secondary section 35.Each telescoping primary section 33 includes a spring loaded detent pin(not shown) for indexing in an aperture (not shown) provided in eachcorresponding secondary section 35 for locking the sections 33, 35 in anextended position as shown in FIG. 6, and depressing the detent pin todisengage the aperture to unlock and retract the secondary section 35 asshown in FIGS. 7-10. It is preferred that the length of the secondarysection 35 is substantially similar to the length of the primary section33 such that when retracted substantially all of the primary section 33is stored within the secondary section 35. Each outer/outermost end 39of the side frame secondary section 35 may also include an end cap (notshown) for engagement with the coupling member 81 which is described inmore detail below.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that multiple alignedapertures could be included in each side frame member secondary section35 such that the side frame member 31 could be adjusted to differentlengths. It will also be recognized that any other conventional meansfor connecting the side frame member sections 33, 35 could be used,including but not limited to other slidable and pivotal connections.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the coupling member 81 of thefoldable tent of FIG. 1, wherein the foldable tent is in the openposition. In the preferred embodiment the coupling member 81 isconstructed of an elongated base plate 181 having an inner chassis 182having two opposing walls 182 a, 182 b extending substantiallyperpendicular therefrom and integrally formed thereto. The proximal anddistal ends 9, 10 of each of the opposing arched frame members 7, 8 arepivotally connected to the inner chassis 182. Generally, proximal anddistal ends 9, 10 located on each outer/outermost end 39 of the sideframe secondary section 35 is attached to coupling member 81 by way of aguide pin (not shown), preferably a fastener such as a screw, allowingeach frame member 7, 8 to pivot or rotate on the coupling member 81.Preferably, the guide pin is secured end to end with the inner chassiswalls 182 a, 182 b and the guide pin passes through each side framesecondary section 35. Such configuration allows the frame members 7, 8to pivot on the coupling member 81, to expand away from one another whenthe tent 1 is erected, and to contract toward one another when the tent1 is collapsed (such as in the folded over configurations of FIGS.8-10).

In operation, referring to FIGS. 1-10, the foldable tent 1 is erected byunfolding the cover 5 and frame assembly 3 as shown in FIGS. 2-4 and8-10. Each corner of the cover 5 is extended until the cover bottomsection 28 is fully expanded and taut, and stakes are applied to thesecuring members 6 of each corner of the cover 5 to secure the cover 5to a surface. Stakes can also be applied to the straps 6′ of eachcoupling member 81 (see FIG. 5). Each frame member 7, 8 is positioned ina substantially upright position as shown in FIG. 2. The upper framemember first and second sections 23, 25 are aligned and pushed towardeach other to lock the first pivotal coupling member 41 of the upperframe member 21 into a locked state as shown in FIG. 6, 7, 14 a-14 b.The side frame member first section 33 is extended from the side framemember second section 35 and the two sections 33, 35 are locked in anextended configuration as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Once the frame members7, 8 are fully extended and locked the cover 5 becomes taut due to thegeometrical constraints of the overall configuration of the tent 1 asshown in FIG. 1. The cover 5 exerts a generally downward and inwardforce on the frame assembly 3 which aides in maintaining the tent 1 inthe open configuration. The tent 1 is folded in reverse order asdescribed above.

The instant tent 1 of the present invention provides for a simple, easy,quick set up and folding while also providing a compact foldedconfiguration for convenient storage and transport. Moreover, theminimal number of parts allows for efficient manufacturing and, eventhough the risk of any parts failure is minimized by providing a stabletent structure, in the event that there is any failure in partsreplacing those parts is not difficult.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

Please amend the claims as follows:
 1. A foldable tent for instantset-up and collapsing, comprising, a. a frame assembly attached to atent cover; b. the frame assembly including at least one pair of archedfoldable frame members each having proximal and distal ends,corresponding proximal and distal ends of each of the arched framemembers being pivotally connected to a lower coupling member; c. each ofthe arched foldable frame members comprising an upper frame portionpivotally connected to a side frame; d. each upper frame portionincluding a first pole section and a second pole section, wherein eachfirst and second pole section has an inner end and an outer end, theinner ends of the first and second pole, sections of the upper frameportion being pivotally connected together by a first pivotal couplingmember; e. each of the side frame portions including a primary polesection and a secondary pole section, wherein each primary and secondarypole section has an innermost end and an outermost end, wherein theoutermost end of the primary pole section is pivotally connected to acorresponding outer end of the upper frame portion by a second pivotalcoupling member, wherein the innermost end of the primary pole sectionand the secondary pole section are slidingly coupled together, andwherein the outermost end of the secondary pole section is pivotallyconnected to the lower coupling member; wherein the tent cover isadapted to become taut when the arched foldable frame members areerected, pulling the arched foldable frame members away from one anotherand retaining an erected configuration of the foldable tent.
 2. Thefoldable tent of claim 1, wherein a lower portion of the tent covercomprises securing members for securing the tent cover onto a surface.3. The foldable tent of claim 1, wherein the tent cover comprisessleeves, the foldable frame members secure within the sleeves.
 4. Thefoldable tent structure of claim 1, wherein the each lower couplingmember comprises an elongated base plate and an inner chassis, theproximal and distal ends of each of the arched frame members pivotallyconnected to the inner chassis.
 5. The foldable tent structure of claim1, wherein the first pole section and a second pole section of the upperframe portion of the arched foldable frame members are flexible.
 6. Thefoldable tent structure of claim 1, wherein the primary pole section andthe secondary pole section are coupled together telescopically. 7-11.(canceled)
 12. A foldable tent comprising: a tent cover comprising aplurality of side walls; a plurality of pole assemblies slidably coupledto the tent cover, each pole assembly comprising: an upper frame havinga plurality of upper sections collapsibly coupled together, the upperframe having opposing free ends; and first and second side frames, eachside frame having a plurality of collapsible side sections, each sideframe having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of each sideframe pivotally coupled with a corresponding free end of the upper framesuch that each pole assembly is substantially U-shaped, each first sideframe positioned adjacent a first side wall of the tent cover and eachsecond side frame positioned adjacent an opposing second side wall ofthe tent cover; and a plurality of lower coupling members, at least twofirst side frame lower ends pivotally coupled to a first lower couplingmember and at least two second side frame lower ends pivotally coupledto a second lower coupling member.
 13. The foldable tent of claim 12,wherein the pole assemblies are coupled to an outer surface of the tentcover.
 14. The foldable tent of claim 12, wherein at least two of theside sections of each side frame are slidably collapsible.
 15. Thefoldable tent of claim 12, wherein the upper sections are coupledtogether pivotally.
 16. The foldable tent of claim 12, wherein in anopen state the plurality of frame assemblies are extended and the tentcover is substantially taut.
 17. The foldable tent of claim 12, whereinin a folded state, each of the plurality of frame assemblies arecollapsed and the tent cover is folded with the plurality of collapsedframe assemblies.
 18. The foldable tent of claim 12, wherein each lowercoupling member comprises a base having first and second ends and atleast one support wall extending upwardly from the base, each side framelower end coupled to the at least one support wall.
 19. The foldabletent of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of securing membersextending from a lower portion of the tent cover, each securing memberfixedly coupled to a corresponding lower coupling member, each securingmember configured to be fixed to a support surface.
 20. A foldable tentcomprising: a tent cover, an outer surface of the tent cover having aplurality of connecting members extending therefrom, lower portions ofthe tent cover having a plurality of securing members extendingtherefrom, the tent cover having a plurality of sides; a plurality ofpole assemblies each pole assembly comprising: an upper frame having aplurality of upper sections pivotally coupled together, the upper framehaving opposing free ends; and a pair side frames, each side framehaving a plurality of collapsible side sections, each side frame havingan upper end and a lower end, the upper end of each side frame pivotallycoupled with a corresponding free end of the upper frame such that eachpole assembly is substantially U-shaped, each pole assembly slidablycoupled to corresponding connecting members of the tent cover such thatopposing side frames of each pole assembly are positioned on opposingsides of the tent cover; and a plurality of lower coupling members, eachlower coupling member positioned adjacent the lower portions of the tentcover, each side frame lower end on a corresponding side of the tentcover pivotally coupled to a lower coupling member.
 21. The foldabletent of claim 20, wherein at least one of the connecting members is asleeve.
 22. The foldable tent of claim 20, wherein at least two of theside sections of each side frame are slidably collapsible.
 23. Thefoldable tent of claim 20, wherein each lower coupling member comprisesa base having first and second ends and at least one support wallextending upwardly from the base, each side frame lower end coupled tothe at least one support wall.
 24. The foldable tent of claim 20,wherein in an open state the securing members of the tent cover aresecured to a support surface and the pole assemblies are extended suchthat the tent cover is substantially taut.
 25. The foldable tent ofclaim 20, wherein in a folded state the securing members of the tentcover are free and the pole assemblies are collapsed and folded with thetent cover.